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Red Lake Falls woman tried to bribe officer to get out of jail, charges say

THIEF RIVER FALLS—A Red Lake Falls, Minn., woman, has been accused of bribing law enforcement to let her go after being arrested in Pennington County on multiple charges, including assaulting an officer.

Tiffany Cross, 37, appeared Thursday in Pennington County District Court on felony charges of bribery and assault in the fourth degree. She also was charged with misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct.

The charges stem from a Tuesday call to the Broadway Station bar in St. Hilaire, Minn., about 5 miles south of Thief River Falls. Officers were asked to remove Cross from the bar and take her home, but when they arrived, she was attempting to wander away, according to a criminal complaint.

When a deputy told Cross he was going to give Cross a ride home, she refused and became agitated, stating law enforcement had "no right to talk to her," court documents said. One officer said he would arrest her for disorderly conduct if he didn't let him take her home.

That's when Cross became verbally abusive, according to court documents, and she was placed under arrest. She resisted being put in the squad car and attempts to book her into the Pennington County Law Enforcement Center, the criminal complaint said.

Court documents described Cross being "very aggressive," forcing additional female staff to assist with the booking.

"At one time, Cross kicked (an officer) in the leg and grabbed the lanyard from around (the officer's) neck and ripped it off," court documents said.

Officers put Cross in a restraint chair, court documents said. Two hours later, Cross offered to give one officer $2,000 if he let her out of jail, court documents said.

The officer refused, court documents said.

She also has been accused of ripping a door handle off one person's truck, causing $223 worth in damage.

The most serious charge in the case is bribery, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.

April Baumgarten joined the Grand Forks Herald May 19, 2015, and covers crime and education. She grew up on a ranch 10 miles southeast of Belfield, where her family raises registered Hereford cattle. She double majored in communications and history/political science at Jamestown (N.D.) College, now known as University of Jamestown. During her time at the college, she worked as a reporter and editor-in-chief for the university's newspaper, The Collegian. Baumgarten previously worked for The Dickinson Press as a city government and energy reporter in 2011 before becoming the editor of the Hazen Star and Center Republican. She then returned to The Press as a news editor, where she helped lead an award-winning newsroom in recording the historical oil boom.